Cattle-guard.



R. J. OTEY.

GATTLE GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 7, 1911.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

as 2535' X 5 W1 T/VESSES Zpm M 'UNTTED STATES PATENT @FFIQE.

ROBERT J. OTEY, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

CATTLE-GUARD.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. OTEY, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State ofAlabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCattle-Guards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in cattle guards and has for itsobject to produce, at a comparatively small expense, a guard which willnot only stop cattle, but hogs and sheep, this object being primarilyobtained by the provision of disks formed of sheet steel having theirperipheries radially slotted and adapted to present sharp irregularsurfaces by having the tongues of metal between slits alternately bentin 0pposite directions.

A further feature of my invention consists in spacing the disks formedas above by spools provided with centrally sharpened disks which catchthe hoofs of smaller animals that might otherwise pass in between thedisks and cooperate with the latter in making the guard effectiveagainst all kinds of animals.

My invention further comprises the details of construction andarrangement of parts hereinafter more particularly described andclaimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 represents a transverse crosssectional view through the trackshowing my cattle guard in end elevation, Fig. 2 is a plan view of myimproved cattle guard. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view ofthe disk and spacer, and Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the disk.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout thedrawings.

I have shown my cattle guard installed in connection with the cross ties1 and rails 52 of the usual track construction. On each side of therails 2 and parallel therewith I place angle irons 3 and connect them tothe ties by spikes 4, or in any other suitable manner. Also at the outerends of the cross ties I provide similar angle irons 3 and fasten themto the ties. These angle irons serve as bearings for a series ofequi-distantly spaced rods 5 between the rails and rods 6 at the outsideof the rails. These rods are mounted in the vertical flanges ofSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 7, 1911.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

Serial No. 653,454.

the irons 3 and are held in place by a nut 7 at one end and key 8 at theother end of each rod. I mount upon each rod a series of disks 9preferably formed from sheet metal with a central opening to receive therod and with equi-distantly spaced radial slits extending a shortdistance from the periphery to produce metal tongues 10 which areadapted to be bent alternately in opposite directions in order that thedisks may present an irregular roughened rotatable surface, theperiphery of which, due to the bending out of the tongues, covers aspace of several inches of the rod. These disks are spaced by metalspools 11 which have flanged ends 12 to increase their bearing surfacesagainst the central portions of the disks 9, and which have at theircenter sharpened beveled cutting edges 13, which have a diameterapproximately equal with the solid uncut central portion of the disks 9.These cutting edges 13 are spaced equidistantly between the adjacentperipheries of the disks 9.

The apparatus when assembled presents a series of transverse sets ofroughened disks 9 with their sharpened irregular peripheries andsharpened cutting disks exposed between said peripheries of the disks,the transverse rows of disks being spaced relatively any desireddistance. I prefer to have the earth and ballast removed from under thedisks to a sufficient extent to cause the bodies of smaller animals,such as hogs and sheep, when they attempt to step between the rows ofdisks, to strike against the tongues 10 on the disks, which willeffectively stop the animals and prevent any further attempt to crossthe cattle guard.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A cattle guard comprising a series of disks each having its peripheryslitted and the cut portions bent at an angle to the body of the disk,alternate portions being bent in opposite directions, and means torotatably support said disks in spaced relationship, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a cattle guard, the combination of a series of shafts, of a seriesof sheet metal disks mounted on said shafts, spacer sleeves on theshafts having a centrally disposed annular sharpened projection, theperipheries of said disks being slitted and bent outwardly to presentirregular angularly disposed tongues, substantially as described.

3. In a cattle guard, a section thereof comprising end bearings, shaftsmounted in said bearings, a series of metal disks mounted thereon,spools interposed between the disks to space them and provided withsharp annular cutting edges, said disks having the metal in theirperipheries displaced to give irregular portions which overhang saidspools, substantially as described.

4. In a cattle guard, the combination of a series of shafts and means tosupport same, of a series of sheet metal disks'mounted on each shaft,means to space said disks which have their peripheries distorted toprovide angularly disposed portions which overhang the spacing meansbetween the disks, sub stantially as described.

5. In a cattle guard, a series of juxtaposed sheet metal disks havingtheir peripheries radially slitted and the tongues between the slitsbent alternately in opposite directions at an angle to the body of thedisks, and means to assemble said disks in spaced relationship,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT J. OTEY.

IVit-nesses NOMIE VVELsH, R. D. JOHNSTON, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patent! Washington, D.- G.

